Shen Yu’s gaze darkened.

No.

The keywords alone were not the answer.

There was another condition hidden beneath the surface.

Something everyone else had overlooked.

And whatever that hidden truth was...

It would determine who survived this dungeon.

And who became the next corpse lying on the blood-covered floor.

The man from Bear Country had survived simply by copying someone else’s answer.

That meant the puzzle was becoming easier.

And in horror dungeons, information was often more valuable than strength.

Yang Zhenjin’s cold gaze swept across the remaining participants.

"Next."

Her voice was like ice scraping against glass.

Everyone instinctively lowered their heads.

Nobody wanted to be chosen.

Unfortunately, horror dungeons rarely cared about what people wanted.

Her finger slowly rose.

Then stopped.

"You."

The unlucky target froze.

It was one of the international students.

A thin young man with freckles.

His face immediately turned pale.

"I-I..."

"Come forward."

Yang Zhenjin’s voice left no room for refusal.

The young man swallowed hard and stumbled out of the crowd.

His entire body trembled.

A grotesque nurse stepped forward.

Bandages slowly unraveled from her face.

Rotting flesh.

Wriggling maggots.

Cloudy white eyes.

The young man nearly screamed.

"Repent."

The nurse’s voice sounded like nails scraping metal.

The young man’s lips trembled.

"I... I repent!"

His voice cracked.

"I was wrong! I didn’t study hard! I skipped classes! I don’t know gratitude! I will accept treatment! I will become a better person!"

The words poured out desperately.

Silence.

Several seconds passed.

Yang Zhenjin stared at him.

Then slowly smiled.

A chilling smile.

The young man’s heart sank.

He knew immediately.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

"Interesting."

Yang Zhenjin tilted her head.

"You’re lying."

The young man’s face turned white.

"N-No! I’m not!"

"Really?"

She took a step forward.

Click.

The strange controller appeared in her hand again.

The moment he saw it, panic exploded in his eyes.

"Nurse! Wait! Please listen—"

BZZZZZT!

A violent electric current erupted from the iron headband.

The young man let out a blood-curdling scream.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Smoke poured from beneath the metal restraint.

His body convulsed violently.

Cracks appeared across his skin.

Blood burst from his pores.

Then—

BOOM!

The headband exploded.

Blood and fragments scattered across the floor.

The scream ended abruptly.

His corpse collapsed heavily onto the ground.

Dead.

The entire hall fell silent once more.

Everyone’s faces turned pale.

Even the patients standing nearby trembled in fear.

The bear-country man’s expression changed instantly.

"We said almost the same thing..."

"Why did he die?"

Nobody answered.

But Shen Yu already understood.

The answer wasn’t just the words.

It was the emotion behind them.

The understanding.

The recognition.

Simply memorizing the correct response wasn’t enough.

You had to truly believe it.

Or at least convince the dungeon that you did.

His gaze drifted toward Yuan Ji.

The long-haired man stood calmly among the crowd.

As though none of this concerned him.

As though death itself was nothing more than background noise.

Shen Yu frowned.

This man was dangerous.

Extremely dangerous.

Not because of his talent.

But because of his composure.

Anyone who could remain this calm in a room full of corpses was either a genius...

Or a monster.

Meanwhile, Yang Zhenjin continued her inspection.

Her beautiful face remained expressionless.

As though the death that had just occurred meant absolutely nothing.

Standing among the patients, Shen Yu remained silent.

His gaze drifted across the floor.

Blood.

So much blood.

The black-skinned foreign student.

The blonde woman.

Park Gwangchang.

Their corpses still lay scattered across the hall like discarded trash.

The metallic scent of blood mixed with disinfectant and rot, creating a nauseating stench.

Yet Shen Yu’s attention wasn’t on the bodies themselves.

It was on something else.

The deaths.

His eyes lingered on them longer than anyone else’s.

A strange longing rose inside him.

If I died here...

What reward would I get?

The thought appeared suddenly and refused to leave.

Unlike everyone else, Shen Yu possessed a secret no one knew.

A secret that had carried him through his previous nightmare.

Infinite Revival.

Death wasn’t necessarily the end for him.

Sometimes it was information.

Sometimes it was opportunity.

Sometimes it was the fastest way to uncover hidden mechanics.

His fingers twitched.

He almost wanted to test it.

Just a little.

What would happen if Yang Jin killed him?

Would he respawn?

Would he gain another reward?

Would the dungeon reveal a hidden route?

The temptation was enormous.

Yet Shen Yu didn’t move.

His eyes shifted toward Yang Jin.

The beautiful head nurse stood beneath the fluorescent lights, her white stockings spotless despite the blood pooling around her heels.

Above her head, only Shen Yu could see the floating pink heart.

Favorability: 15

The number pulsed softly.

A valuable advantage.

Perhaps the most valuable advantage in this entire dungeon.

If he intentionally provoked death now...

Would that favorability decrease?

Would Yang Jin lose interest in him?

Would he lose the clues she had subtly provided?

Shen Yu couldn’t be certain.

And uncertainty was dangerous.

Very dangerous.

More importantly...

He couldn’t reveal his secret.

Not here.

Not now.

His eyes swept across the remaining players.

Fujia.

Yan Bing.

Xiao Kongxu.

Yu Ji.

Every one of them was a veteran.

Some possessed A-Rank talents.

One of them was rumored to possess an S-Rank talent.

Compared to the players from his previous dungeon, these people were monsters.

Experienced.

Cunning.

Ruthless.

If they discovered he could resurrect endlessly...

Shen Yu wasn’t confident they would remain allies.

People became terrifying when faced with an immortal test subject.

The thought alone sent a chill down his spine.

No.

The revival ability must remain hidden.

At least until he understood everyone’s talents.

At least until he became stronger.

"Next."

Yang Jin’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

Her finger pointed toward Fujia.

The man immediately stepped forward.

This time there was no hesitation.

No resistance.

No attempt to be clever.

With a loud thud, he dropped to his knees.

"I was wrong."

"I am ignorant."

"I failed to study properly."

"I cannot even write basic words."

"I accept treatment."

"I will reform myself."

His performance was flawless.

His face carried genuine remorse.

His voice trembled appropriately.

Every gesture appeared natural.

Even Shen Yu had to admit the man was talented.

The veteran players learned quickly.

Very quickly.

After a brief pause, Yang Jin nodded.

"Pass."

Fujia immediately retreated.

"Next."

Yan Bing.

Then Xiao Kongxu.

One after another, they copied the successful formula.

Kneel.

Repent.

Admit ignorance.

Accept treatment.

Promise to study.

Promise to improve.

And one after another...

They survived.

No electricity.

No execution.

No blood.

The grotesque nurses merely watched silently before allowing them to leave.

The hall gradually fell quiet.

The confession session had finally ended.

The original group of ten participants had been reduced to six.

Four deaths.

Forty percent casualties.

And this was only the morning.

Shen Yu glanced at the corpses.

The newcomers all looked pale.

The veterans appeared calm.

Yet beneath that calmness, he could see tension.

Everyone understood the same thing.

They had not solved the dungeon.

They had merely survived its first examination.

The real danger was still ahead.

Yang Jin stepped forward.

Her heels clicked sharply against the floor.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

The sound instantly silenced the room.

Her peach-blossom eyes swept across every patient present.

"Confession is over."

"Next."

A strange smile appeared on her beautiful face.

It was not warm.

It was not kind.

It was the smile of a predator.

"Breakfast."

The word landed like a hammer.

Several patients immediately began trembling.

Some lowered their heads.

Others turned pale.

Even the veteran players stiffened slightly.

Shen Yu noticed the reactions instantly.

Breakfast?

His eyes narrowed.

Why are they afraid of breakfast?

Then he noticed something even stranger.

Many of the young patients unconsciously covered their hands.

Especially their fingers.

As if protecting them.

As if they feared losing them.

A bad feeling crept into Shen Yu’s chest.

Yang Jin’s smile widened.

"Today’s breakfast menu is very special."

The grotesque nurses behind her began laughing.

A low, distorted laughter.

One filled with hunger.

One filled with anticipation.

And for the first time since entering the hospital, Shen Yu felt genuine unease.

Because everyone in the room seemed to know something he didn’t.

And whatever awaited them in the cafeteria...

__ __ ___ ___

The six remaining participants followed the procession in silence.

Only moments ago, there had been ten of them.

Now, four corpses remained behind in the hall.

The S-Rank dungeon had barely begun, yet nearly half the participants were already dead.

No one dared to relax.

No one dared to celebrate surviving.

Because everyone understood one thing—

The real nightmare had only just started.

"The morning meeting is over."

Yang Jin’s cold voice echoed through the hall.

"Breakfast will begin shortly."

"All patients are to proceed to the cafeteria in an orderly manner."

"Maintain silence while eating."

The command left no room for negotiation.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Her black heels struck the floor rhythmically as she turned and walked away, her form-fitting pink skirt swaying slightly with every step.

Behind her, the grotesque nurses immediately began herding the patients forward.

No one resisted.

No one spoke.

The sight of the earlier executions was still fresh in everyone’s minds.

Even the veteran players lowered their heads and followed obediently.